Even in Hawaii, Obama can't escape troubled state health insurance exchanges

The president may be vacationing in a tropical paradise, but there's no escaping the buffeting winds of troubled state health insurance exchanges, even in Hawaii.
For openers, the botched roll-out of the ObamaCare state exchange in Hawaii has hurt Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie's approval ratings: 51 percent of likely Democratic primary voters say they don't like the way he's doing his job.
Already out of a job is Coral Andrews, the executive director of Hawaii's state-run exchange. She submitted her resignation effective December 6 after only 257 people had signed up for health care a month into the roll out.
Hawaii's website contract was awarded to the same firm, CGI, that blew the national Healthcare.gov roll out. CGI won the Hawaii contract even after the state senate president warned the state exchange director not to hire the firm. CGI apparently also had botched Hawaii's tax website, costing Hawaiians $50 million to fix.
Hawaii is not alone. Oregon's website never has worked, despite that state receiving more exchange grant money than any others, except California and New York.
Oregon applicants are forced to fill out a 19-page paper form but that, too, has been problematic. Despite assurances that coverage would take effect January 1, late this month applicants began receiving robo-calls in which a voice told the applicant, "If you have not heard from us by December 23rd, it is unlikely your application can be processed for January 1st insurance coverage."
Oregonian Harold Stanton received one of those calls and is no longer sure whether his health care insurance is effective come January 1.
"The governor should have been apprised of the situation. If he wasn't apprised of the situation, then shame on his aides, and if he was, then shame on him for not listening to his aides," he says.
The director of Oregon’s exchange is now on medical leave.
Maryland, home to presumed Democratic presidential contender Gov. Martin O'Malley, also had a bad roll out.
Its exchange director is now gone, but lingering animosities remain. Gubernatorial hopeful Attorney General Doug Gansler fired off an intra-party salvo when he said the roll out was akin to a "Saturday Night Live skit." The object of his wrath is lieutenant governor and gubernatorial front-runner Anthony Brown, who is also the chairman of the state panel on the health care roll out.
California has been touted as a state exchange success story. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi recently said of her state’s exchange, "In Covered California, we're moving along (the) largest state in the union, rolling along in a very positive way on it."
But what she did not say was that the state’s enrollment among Latinos has been weak.
Only five percent of enrollees are Latino, even though they make up more than half of California's uninsured.
In a conference call with reporters Monday, Pelosi said the "transformational" nature of ObamaCare, much like Social Security, means that the law will take time to work out.
She added, "It's going to be a glorious thing."

Wastebook 2013

 Uncle Sam Looking for Romance on the Web – (NEH) $914,000
The Popular Romance Project has received nearly $1 million from the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) since 2010 to “explore the fascinating, often contradictory origins and influences of popular romance as told in novels, films, comics, advice books, songs, and internet fan fiction, taking a global perspective—while looking back across time as far as the ancient Greeks.”

 Mass Destruction of Weapons – (Department of Defense) $7 billion
As the U.S. war effort in the Middle East winds to a close, the military has destroyed more than 170 million pounds worth of useable vehicles and other military equipment. The military has decided that it will simply destroy more than $7 billion worth of equipment rather than sell it or ship it back home.

 Millions Spent Building, Promoting an Insurance Plan Few Want and a Website that Doesn’t Work – (Department of Health and Human Services) At least $379 million
With nearly half-a-billion dollars in government funding put behind promoting a product that relatively few people seem interested in purchasing off a website that doesn’t work, Obamacare is perhaps the biggest marketing flop since Coca-Cola introduced the world to “New Coke” in 1985.

Government Study Finds Out Wives Should Calm Down (NIH) $325,525
If your wife is angry at you and you don’t want her to stay that way, you might avoid passing along the findings of this government study. Wives would find marriage more satisfying if they could calm down faster during arguments with their husbands, according to government-funded research.

 Fort Hood Shooter Continued to Collect Government Paycheck (Army) ($52,952 in 2013)
While the families of the survivors and victims were fighting to receive military benefits, the Fort Hood shooter Major Nadal Hasan was cashing his paycheck. Since the shooting, Hasan has received over $278,000 in military benefits because the Military Code of Justice doesn’t allow a soldier to be suspended until they are found guilty. And so on, and on, and on.

Link To Coburn Annual Wastebook below:

 http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=e7359436-1572-414e-8acc-0222cad1c7d5

Jackson and his Rainbow PUSH coalition are demanding to meet with A&E and Cracker Barrel

 How come Jesse Jackson doesn't demand to speak to Phil Robertson instead of A&E and Cracker Barrel? Is he afraid of talking to Mr. Robertson face to face? 

Patchwork of ObamaCare insurance deadlines adds to confusion

So you've signed up for health care on the ObamaCare exchanges. Think you're covered? Not quite. 
As with any insurance plan, new enrollees still have to pay their first month's premium to lock in coverage. But the deadlines for that task are different all over the country, adding to the confusion over an already-perplexing sign-up process.
"It makes an already kind of chaotic situation even more chaotic," Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers said.
The deadlines in the ObamaCare enrollment process have been a moving target. For those seeking coverage for the start of the new year, the deadline to sign up was originally Dec. 15. Then it was moved to Dec. 23, and then again to Dec. 24. Even after that deadline passed Tuesday night, the administration announced that those who ran into technical problems on HealthCare.gov could still seek an exemption and get covered by Jan. 1.
Then comes the next set of deadlines. After appeals from the Obama administration, major health insurers announced earlier this month that they would give people until Jan. 10 -- as opposed to Dec. 31 -- to pay their first month's premium and have coverage effective Jan. 1.
But many states running their own exchanges have their own deadlines for first payments. Some have more than one.
In Idaho, for instance, Blue Cross, Bridgespan and Select Health extended their deadline to Jan. 10. But PacificSource extended its deadline to Jan. 15. The deadlines in Washington, D.C., also depend on the insurer.
Other deadlines are earlier. California's and Rhode Island's is Jan. 6. Vermont's is Jan. 7.
The following states all have Jan. 10 deadlines: Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York.
The following states have Jan. 15 deadlines: Maryland, Oregon and Washington state.
Powers said the patchwork could create a real problem.
"There's a danger that people will misunderstand and think that their ... state or their exchange has extended it to Jan. 10 when in fact a lot of the state exchanges haven't done that," she said, urging those trying to get insurance to "get on top of it immediately."
After the first set of deadlines, would-be enrollees still have until the end of March to get insurance, after which the federal government will begin to fine those without coverage.
Still, the administration has carved out exemptions for certain people and businesses, including those whose plans were recently canceled. The insurance industry has raised concern about these changes, warning that they could disrupt the market.
The Affordable Care Act system needs to see millions more people -- including the young and healthy -- buy insurance in order to offset some of the cost to the industry of accepting sicker patients.   
President Obama said at his end-of-year press conference that 1 million people have signed up through the federal and state exchanges, marking a significant uptick since the Oct. 1 launch. Officials, though, were originally projecting a goal of 7 million people by the end of March.

Cracker Barrel: Oops! We're Putting Duck Dynasty Products Back On Our Shelves!

I think we can safely call Cracker Barrel’s response to the Phil Robertson scandal a clusterduck.
For those sensible souls not following the saga as closely as I am: the Southern restaurant chain became the first major retailer to pull some Duck Dynasty products off its shelves on Saturday in response to cast member Robertson’s now-notorious anti-gay GQ interview.

  Clare O'Connor Forbes Staff

Cue a barrage of tweets, emails, and calls from Duck Dynasty fans to the powers that be at Cracker Barrel, not to mention threats of a boycott.
Now, a day later, the 625-outlet comfort food chain has capitulated and will resume selling Duck Dynasty products. Here’s their statement, dated Sunday:

Dear Cracker Barrel Customer:

When we made the decision to remove and evaluate certain Duck Dynasty items, we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending, but that’s just what we’ve done.

You told us we made a mistake. And, you weren’t shy about it. You wrote, you called and you took to social media to express your thoughts and feelings.  You flat out told us we were wrong.

We listened.

Today, we are putting all our Duck Dynasty products back in our stores.

And, we apologize for offending you.

We respect all individuals [sic] right to express their beliefs.  We certainly did not mean to have anyone think different [sic].

We sincerely hope you will continue to be part of our Cracker Barrel family.

Army: Don’t say Christmas

By Todd Starnes

Published December 24, 2013

FoxNews.com

Don’t say Christmas.
That’s the message that was conveyed to a group of soldiers at Camp Shelby by an equal opportunity officer from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, according to a soldier who attended a recent briefing.
“It’s unbelievable that the Army would ban ‘Christmas’ like it’s a bad word,” said Michael Berry, an attorney with the Liberty Institute, a legal firm representing the unidentified soldier.
Two weeks ago, a routine meeting was held at the Mississippi base with various leaders of the 158th Infantry Brigade. During the meeting, they discussed an upcoming Christmas football tournament. The equal opportunity officer immediately objected to the usage of the word “Christmas.”
“Our equal opportunity representative stopped the briefing and told us that we can’t say Christmas,” the soldier told me. “Almost the entire room blew up. Everybody was frustrated. The equal opportunity rep told our commander that not everyone celebrates Christmas and we couldn’t say Christmas celebration. It had to be holiday celebration.”
The soldier said there was a brief, but heated discussion about political correctness. At one point, the equal opportunity representative tried to deflect the criticism by pointing out it was the Army’s rules – not hers.
“She said an individual can say Christmas, but as an organization in the Army you can’t say Christmas,” the soldier told me.
So what does the Army have to say about the DEOMI officer’s edict?
“There is no policy at the 158th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East or First Army that forbids using the word ‘Christmas’,” Public Affairs Chief Amanda Glenn told me.
She confirmed that there was a discussion in the meeting about the football tournament. She said it was meant to be a team building event and it had no tie to a specific religious event or holiday celebration.
“The Equal Opportunity advisor simply stated that it would be more appropriate to call it a holiday football event,” she said.
But Attorney Berry tells me that it was made very clear to the soldiers in the room that the name change was not merely a suggestion.
“She stated that the word Christmas had to be replaced with the word holiday,” Berry said.
The soldier who contacted me said it was just another instance of the military trying to curtail public expressions of the Christian faith.
“Between the Air Force and the Army – it’s like they don’t like Christian values, they don’t like the word Christ or Christmas,” the soldier said. “They don’t like you talking about it.”
Berry said it’s a shame that the Army has implemented word police.
“Are they going to have the ‘Merry Christmas’ police going around issuing citations to an soldier who slips and says the word?” he wondered. “They’re treating Christmas like it’s pornography. As a matter of fact, the Army actually treats pornography better than it does Christmas.”
It’s not the first time Equal Opportunity officers have caused trouble at Camp Shelby. Earlier this year, I reported exclusively about a briefing at Camp Shelby that labeled the American Family Association as a domestic hate group.
After my story was published, the Secretary of the Army ordered military leaders to halt all briefings on extremist organizations that labeled Evangelical Christian ministries as domestic hate groups.
 Bailey Comment: " I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"! 

Judge denies request to halt same-sex marriages in Utah

Bailey Comment: This is the answer to the question about why voter turnout in all elections are so low! Because it doesn't matter if the majority votes against something, the poor little mistreated minority always wins it anyway.

A federal judge on Monday blocked a request by Utah officials to halt same-sex weddings, allowing gay marriage to continue in the conservative state following a surprise court decision last week.
Judge Robert J. Shelby, who blocked the request on Monday, overturned Utah's ban on same-sex marriage this past Friday. In a decision Utah officials claim has caused chaos in the state, he ruled the voter-approved measure is a violation of gay couples' constitutional rights.
The decision sent couples flocking to county clerk offices for marriage licenses. About 125 gay couples obtained marriage licenses Friday in Salt Lake City, and Clerk Sherrie Swensen said her office issued a similar number Monday morning. An estimated 100 licenses were issued in other counties, while some county clerks shut their doors as they awaited Shelby's decision.
The state has tried to shut the license process down, and lawyers said they would now ask a higher court to put gay marriage on hold.
"I want all Utahns to understand I am committed to advancing this issue through the judicial system as we work toward a clear and understandable resolution," Republican Gov. Gary R. Herbert said in a statement. "I recognize that this is a highly emotional issue with people of goodwill on both sides of the debate. I encourage everyone to remain respectful of one another and of the legal process."
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, urged the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the decision.
"It is patently wrong and unjust that the people of Utah should lose their right to define marriage because of the ruling of a single Obama appointee to the federal bench," Brown said in a statement. "This decision provokes a constitutional crisis." 
Shelby's decision last week has drawn national attention given Utah's reputation as one of the most conservative states in the country. It is also the location for the Mormon church. The gay weddings in Salt Lake City have been taking place about 3 miles from church headquarters.
For now, Utah has joined the likes of California and New York to become the 18th state where same-sex couples can legally wed.
Many Utah residents belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Mormons dominate the state's legal and political circles.
The Mormon church was one of the leading forces behind California's short-lived ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8, which voters approved in 2008. The church said Friday it stands by its support for "traditional marriage," and it hopes a higher court validates its belief that marriage is between a man and woman.
In court Monday, Utah lawyer Philip Lott repeated the words "chaotic situation" to describe what has been happening in Utah since clerks started allowing gay weddings. He urged the judge to "take a more orderly approach than the current frenzy."
"Utah should be allowed to follow its Democratically chosen definition of marriage," he said of the 2004 gay marriage ban.
Peggy Tomsic, the lawyer for the same-sex couples who brought the case, called gay marriage the civil rights movement of this generation and said it was the new law of the land in Utah. 
"The cloud of confusion that the state talks about is only their minds," she said.
Lawyers for the state waged a legal battle on several fronts as they sought to stop the same-sex weddings.
On Sunday, a federal appeals court rejected the state's emergency request to stay the ruling, saying it couldn't rule on a stay since Shelby had not yet acted on the motion before him. The court quickly rejected a second request from Utah on Monday. The state plans to ask the court a third time to put the process on hold.
Adding to the chaos surrounding the situation is the fact that Utah Attorney General John Swallow stepped down about a month ago amid a scandal involving allegations of bribery and offering businessmen protection in return for favors. The state has had an acting attorney general ever since, and Gov. Gary Herbert appointed a replacement Monday who will serve until a special election next year.
In Shelby's 53-page ruling, he said the constitutional amendment that Utah voters approved violates gay and lesbian couples' rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Shelby said the state failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect opposite-sex marriages in any way.
The decision drew a swift and angry reaction from Herbert, who said he was disappointed in an "activist federal judge attempting to override the will of the people of Utah." The state quickly took steps to appeal the ruling and halt the process, setting up Monday's hearing before Shelby.

'Duck Dynasty' patriarch Phil Robertson says he 'will not give' after homosexuality comments

Phil Robertson, one of the stars of the A&E reality show "Duck Dynasty" who ignited a national controversy this week with remarks in a magazine interview comparing homosexuality to bestiality, vowed he would not "give or back off" as he joined his family at church in West Monroe, La.
MailOnline reported Sunday that Robertson allowed one of its reporters into a Bible study class he led at the White's Ferry Road Church of Christ.
"I love all men and women" Robertson said, according to website. "I am a lover of humanity, not a hater." When a member of the class thanked Robertson for saying what he said in the interview, he appeared to shrug it off, saying "I didn’t think much of it at all, but it seems a lot of other people did."
Robertson was suspended indefinitely by A&E after saying that "everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong... Sin becomes fine ... Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men."
In response to A&E's sanction, the Robertsons have reportedly considered pulling the plug on the popular program. Politicians, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have leapt to the family's defense, decrying what they see as an attack on free speech and Christian values.
During the class, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, Robertson said of the reaction to his comments, "I am just reading what was written over 2,000 years ago. Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom. All I did was quote from the scriptures, but they just didn’t know it. Whether I said it, or they read it, what’s the difference? The sins are the same, humans haven’t changed.
"If you give them the bad news, they’ll start kicking and screaming. But you love them more than you fear them, so you tell them."
The rest of the flock, decked out in Duck Dynasty hats and bandannas, stood by the family and the sentiments Phil Robertson expressed.
Alan, Robertson's eldest son, helped deliver a Christmas-themed sermon. He started off by referring to last week's controversy.
"Hope your week went well," he dead-panned. "Ours was kinda' slow."
Phil Robertson concluded his Bible study class with a prayer that went, in part, "I will not give or back off from my path because you conquered death, Father, so we are not worried about all the repercussions."